2020 may be over but, for many of us, the books are not completely closed. Last year was an extremely difficult year for many, so it’s important to revisit some tax strategies that could help you keep more of your hard-earned money.

You may not realize but you may be able to make contributions to your Roth IRA for 2020 up until the earlier of your tax filing date, or April 15th.  If eligible, the contribution limit is $6,000 ($7,000 for those age 50+), but don’t be discouraged if you are not able to fully fund your account for the year. Every bit you can save will help provide for your lifestyle in retirement, so a partial contribution is better than no contribution at all. 

Just because one spouse may be a homemaker or already retired, doesn’t mean that they can’t take advantage of a Roth IRA.  IRS rules also allow for contributions to an account for a homemaker or retired spouse, as long as the working spouse has sufficient earned income, even if the spouse is older than 70 ½.

Since Roth IRAs can provide tax-free distributions and are not subject to Required Minimum Distributions at age 70 ½, they can be an extremely beneficial retirement funding option!

If you’re looking for a tax deduction today, consider contributing to a Traditional IRA instead. The limits are the same, and your contribution can be tax-free for 2020. 

Anyone whose earned income is reported to them on a form 1099, K1, or other similar non-employee form, may be eligible to establish and fund a retirement plan for 2020. The IRS rules allow this to be done up until the filing deadline (including extensions) for the previous year. Popular plan options include a SEP IRA and Individual 401k.

For those who are self-employed, and don’t have access to a retirement plan through an employer, you may think you’re being disadvantaged when it comes to saving for retirement. The opposite, however, may be true. As a self-employed person, you could have the options of contributing up to $57,000 to a retirement plan for 2020, and deducting the full contribution! 

A SEP IRA can allow you to contribute up to 25% of your income with a maximum contribution of $57,000, and can be appropriate for workers with high income and no employees. Because of the 25% limitation, your income would need to exceed $228,000 in order to fully contribute.

An Individual 401k has the same funding limit of $57,000 for 2020, however there is not a 25% limitation. In other words, a self-employed worker (with no employees) earning $57,000 may be eligible to contribute all of their income to an Individual 401k without being limited by the 25% cap. So, if you have a working spouse, or other means of making ends meet, an individual 401k may be a great option for supercharging your family’s retirement savings! Those over age 50 could contribute an additional $6,500.

Individual 401ks require more in the way of record keeping and compliance, so they can be more expensive and cumbersome than a SEP IRA. Remember, you don’t have to be able to fully fund a plan for it to still make sense. Don’t rule out an Individual 401k because you can “only” afford to contribute $30,000 to it.

The mail this year has been notoriously slow so, while you may be tempted to run out and file right away, be sure to double check that you’ve received all of your expected tax documents. Also be sure to check that none of the documents you’ve received are marked “DRAFT.” 

As a point of disclosure: Your circumstances are unique and tax regulations can be very complex. Before implementing any tax strategy, we recommend working closely with your independent financial advisor and tax preparer to determine eligibility and funding limits, and to ensure your retirement funding and tax strategies comply with all appropriate regulations. 

Stephen Kyne, CFP is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial, LLC in Saratoga Springs, and Rhinebeck. 

Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., SEC registered investment advisors. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret Grant are separate entities.

The surging pandemic and recent attack on the United States Capitol has increased the levels of discomfort, stress and anxiety felt by so many in our country. In fact, 78% of adults in the U.S. site the pandemic as a major stressor and 60% found the increasing number of stressors affecting Americans overwhelming in 2020 according to the American Psychological Association.

While recent data shows that Saratoga County residents’ mental health has improved over the past few years, this trend is likely changing. As civil unrest continues to unfold and the pandemic worsens, many are finding their day-to-day lives disrupted by uncertainty. Additionally, the winter months have brought shorter and colder days, limiting people’s time spent outside coupled with increased levels of stress and loneliness from isolation. While 2021 brings new hope of a COVID-19 vaccine, its slow distribution has made many people weary and look to new ways to cope. 

As a mental health professional, I regularly recommend coping mechanisms and mindfulness practices for stressful and uncertain times like these. For those in Saratoga County and across the state, there are four tips that are key to coping with stress, feelings of depression, and anxiety:

1. GET LOTS OF SLEEP
Anxiety and stress can keep our minds racing throughout the night. Before going to bed, choose a regular time to turn off all electronics and allow yourself to unwind prior to falling asleep. This should help to leave you feeling refreshed the next day. 

2. LIMIT YOUR CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL INTAKE
Caffeine can cause restlessness at night or jitters during the day, while alcohol tends to heighten emotions. Ditch these beverages and replace them with water. When you are stressed or sad, you tend to sweat more and cry. Both these responses can lower your hydration levels, so it is important to drink more water to replenish your system.

3. DO THINGS THAT BRING YOU JOY
Every day, dedicate some time to a leisure activity or a hobby that makes you happy. Step outside, exercise, spend time with those in your immediate household, listen to music, or watch a light-hearted TV show or a movie. Often the best way to combat stress and sadness is by occupying your mind with other activities. 

4. VIDEO CHAT OR CALL YOUR LOVED ONES
Schedule time to speak with those closest to you. For a more personal connection, utilize video chat. While this will not replace seeing friends and family in-person, it will offer comfort and an opportunity to catch up with those you are not seeing on a regular basis. 

During times of uncertainty, it is important to find time for self-care. Be sure to prioritize your physical and mental health. By practicing these four self-care routines daily, you can decrease stress and increase your health, which will trickle into other aspects of your life.   

If you need more support or if you are having thoughts of hurting yourself, reach out to your primary care provider, mental health professional, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) or NY Project Hope’s Emotional Support Helpline (1-844-863-9314). 

Additionally, if you are an MVP Health Care member, you can book a same-day appointment with a health professional through Gia at GoAskGia.com or mvphealthcare.com/goaskgia. Members can also call 1-877-GoAskGia (1-877-462-7544) or the MVP Customer Care Center at the phone number listed on the back of the MVP Member ID card.

IMAGE GALLERY
Photo 1: The Great Equipoise at Saratoga
Photo 2: John Hay “Jock” Whitney and his wife Liz.
Photo 3: William Collins Whitney
Photo 4: Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney in classic riding attire.
Photos provided.

This week we will take a look at two members of the fabulous Whitney family who made Saratoga their August playground.

Their names were John Hay Whitney, known to his friends as Jock, and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney who was called Sonny. They were scions of the Whitney line in an era when the two cousins were among the wealthiest individuals in the entire country.

Jock and Sonny were entrepreneurs, political figures, collectors of art, and philanthropists of the highest order. The two cousins were sportsman, superb polo players and stewards of their favorite past time, The Sport of Kings.

THE LINEAGE
The Patriarch of the Whitney family was John Whitney. He came to America from England in 1635. His descendant William Collins Whitney was the first Whitney to leave his mark on Saratoga. A mega successful businessman and political figure of the late Nineteenth Century, his true passion was horse racing. He owned and operated Westbury Stable, taking the name from Old Westbury, New York, a town known for its Who’s Who of American aristocracy. He resided there along with the Phippses, DuPonts, and Vanderbilts. With Whitney’s guidance, Westbury  became one of the leading racing stables in the country.

At the turn of the Twentieth Century Saratoga Racetrack was in a downhill spiral. Whitney saw an opportunity to purchase the track. He and a contingent of investors set on a path to modernize the stands, lengthen the oval and beautify the grounds. It can be said that without the intervention of William Whitney, enthusiasts of the sport would be relegated to read about horse racing at the Spa as a casualty of a bygone era.

Among William Whitney’s offspring were two sons whose love of the sport were on a par with their esteemed father. Harry Payne answered to his given name Harry. William Payne was known by his middle name Payne.

In 1904, Harry inherited his father’s racing stable taking it to greater fame. His stock won an astounding ten Triple Crown events. Of note, in 1915 his filly Regret became the first of the fairer sex to win the Kentucky Derby. His brother Payne established Greentree Stables in 1914. The name was derived from the family estate in Old Westbury. The Greentree brand would become synonymous with horse racing on a grand scale.

ENTER SONNY AND JOCK
The name Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney is as regal as it sounds. His breeding was as impeccable as that of the racehorses he would own. He was born in 1899 to Harry Payne Whitney and his wife Gertrude Vanderbilt. The melding of the families gave Sonny claim to two of the most highly regarded dynasty’s on the hemisphere. 

Five years later Payne Whitney and his wife Helen Hay gave birth to a son, John Hay Whitney. Not to be overshadowed by his cousin, Jock, Whitney’s lineage on the maternal side included his grandfather, a great American Statesman, John Hay. Hay counted among his successes the privilege of being Abraham Lincoln’s Private Secretary, as well  as serving as Secretary of State under both William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

The Union of the two families created the ideal marriage of the business and political worlds.

The Whitney cousins took the same educational journey. They both completed their pre college studies at Groton, one of America’s foremost private prep schools. Fellow alumni included Franklin Roosevelt, Henry DuPont, Averill Harriman and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Then it was on to a family tradition of graduating from Yale University, an Ivy League Institution dating back to 1701.

FORTUNES AND THE SPORT OF KINGS
Payne Whitney passed away In 1927. He was only 51 years old. With that, his wealth passed into the hands of Jock and his sister Joan. The estate valued at nearly 200 million dollars was at the time the largest fortune entered into probate in the history of the United States.

Upon their mother Helen’s death Greentree Stable became a joint venture of the siblings that would last until Jocks  death four decades later. The property that housed the Greentree stock during the Saratoga racing season sits adjacent to Claire Court on Nelson Avenue. The sprawling grounds also served as Jock’s summer residence.

Joan Whitney Payson later became well known in the baseball world as the original owner of the New York Mets. Under her direction The Amazing’s went from the worst team in the history of the sport to a World Championship seven years later.

Mrs. Payson, as she was fondly known, made Saratoga her August home for much of her adult life. The residence at the end of Phila St. intersecting Nelson Ave. is a marvel of Queen Anne Victorian architecture. 

1927 was also an important year for Sonny Whitney. Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic Ocean, landing his aircraft at Le Bourget Airport outside of Paris. Aviation was entering a new phase, Sonny always ahead of the curve, envisioned the future of it. Later that year along with Juan Trippe, an aviation pioneer and fellow Yale alumni, he formed Pan American Airlines. The investment proved to be a grand slam home run. Pan Am led the way in almost every aspect of air travel for the next half century.

Harry Payne Whitney’s life came to an end in 1930. With that Sonny took ownership of his late fathers stable. Sonny would race the horses under his own name, C. V. Whitney.

Sonny was an immediate success as a race horse owner. His colt Equipoise became one of the all time greats. He was considered the best horse in training for both 1932 and 1933. 

The Whitney Stakes was inaugurated in 1928 to memorialize the Whitney families contributions to the sport. The 1932 version, here at the Spa was a special event for Sonny. His great champion Equipoise took the race wire to wire. With it came the first of his four coveted Whitney Stakes trophies.

Jock and his sister Joan were also off to the races. Although at the time Greentree was still owned by their mother, the two were heavily involved with the operation.

The Greentree response to Equipose was a colt named Twenty Grand. He had a remarkable career. Separated from the 1931 Triple Crown by just a length and half loss in the Preakness Stakes, he went on to take the coveted Travers here at Saratoga. The year 1931 belonged to Twenty Grand. In 1957 both Equipoise and Twenty Grand were inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame here on Union Avenue.

The cousins were riding high in the horse racing world. Next, they moved in on Hollywood.

GONE WITH THE WIND
The movie industry was in its infancy. Both Jock and Sonny were quick to grab a piece of the action. Motion pictures in the early 1930s were filmed in black and white. The cousins bought into a new technology  known as technicolor. They invested what amounted to a fifteen percent stake in an invention that would change the face of the movie industry.

Then they set their eyes on the production of motion pictures. Gone With The Wind, to this day considered the greatest movie of all time, had the Whitney name written all over it. The cousins financed the making of the masterpiece. Jock, in fact held the title of Chairman of the Board of Selznick International when the movie was filmed in 1939.

The decade also saw the first of two marriages for Jock. In 1930 he wed one of the notable socialites of the era, Elizabeth Altemus. She was tough, brassy and beautiful. Although they divorced after ten years, Liz branched out and raced quality horses of her own until her death in 1988. She owned the champion Porterhouse, along with many major stakes winners. Liz also kept a residence here. Her horse farm located on Fitch Road, is now the site of McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds.

The thirties were over. A new decade was about to begin. A World War was on the horizon.

Next week we will take a look at the cousins’ contributions to the war effort and their leap into government service. Then we will see how they brought their brand of horse racing to a higher level. We will follow Sonny and his bride Mary Lou as they lead the way in the Renaissance of Saratoga, “The August Place To Be.” Stay tuned. 

For most people, a new year symbolizes a fresh start and an opportunity to implement some resolutions for new habits.

One of the most popular New Year’s Resolution every year is to get in better shape. 
If you are one of the many people embarking on a new fitness routine, here are some tips to ensure your do so in a safe manor.

1. Pace yourself:
• Especially if you are just starting out, it is important to set realistic, attainable goals.Start small and gradually increase the intensity of each workout. Consult with your doctor to determine if a new exercise program is appropriate for your current fitness levels and if any modifications or precautions need to be taken. 

2. Hydrate:
• The key is to be properly hydrated before you even begin your workout, and then continue to replenish your fluid levels during and after your workout.

3. Don’t forget to warm up/cool down:
• This is a very important, yet often neglected part of every workout.  Stretching and gently going through the basic motions of your planned activity can help loosen up joints, warm up the muscles, and prevent potential injuries. 

4. Mix it up:
• Your fitness goals may be more specific like “get a six-pack.”  But that doesn’t mean you should do only ab exercises. Over-strengthening one muscle group and neglecting the rest can lead to major imbalances which can lead to injuries.  And mixing up your routine will help prevent boredom and make it easier to stick to your new habits.

5. Do it right:
• Set yourself up for success by having the right gear and making sure it fits/works properly.
• It is also important to make sure you are using the proper form while exercising.  If you’re not sure what that is, or if you’re doing it properly, seek help.  Most gyms have trainers on hand that can help get you on the right track.

6. Listen to your body:
• Don’t push through the pain. Rarely does a “no pain, no gain” mindset actually end up working in anybody’s favor.  Know your limits and honor them. If something doesn’t feel right go get it checked out by your doctor.

Dr. Kevy Smith Minogue is a chiropractor in Saratoga Springs providing non-surgical treatment of spinal disorders and sports-related injuries. For more information, please visit MySaratogaChiropractor.com or call 518-587-2064.

Despite the fact that I am thrilled (ecstatic! overjoyed! jubilant!) that 2020 is over, my joy is tempered by the fact that it’s January.

January has always been a rough month for me. December has Christmas and February is short and holds the promise of spring, but January is just dark and cold and long. It wasn’t so bad when I was younger — in school, or afterward, when I was working outside the house — but being home with small children amplifies all the worst parts of January: the lack of daylight (so many hours between sunset and bedtime), the requirement for layers of dry winter clothes (how do you all dry the wet snow clothes? Ours are in piles near the heaters, taking up space in the dryer, and presenting tripping hazards in the entryway, and they never fully dry out anyway), and the cabin fever (the yard is covered in slush or ice and/or it’s bitterly cold outside, so we mostly just stay in the house). It’s a struggle, every year. 

This year, we’re facing a January in which they predict “the worst is yet to come,” virus-wise, and as of this writing, the numbers are proving them right. The things I usually do to help alleviate the darkness, like visiting with family and friends and going out for a date night or two out of the house, are being strongly cautioned against. The school basketball games that I always look forward to are currently paused. My kids, who have been so great over the last year about adjusting to the realities of the pandemic, are starting to have a harder time. I’ve really been trying to come up with ways to keep us as mentally healthy as possible for the next four weeks (I’m so hoping February will be better), and thought my ideas might be helpful to you as well.

Having things to look forward to has always been a good strategy for me in hard times, and they don’t have to be big things—just things that are fun or different than the norm, or improve your quality of life. For example:

• Ordering in for dinner 
We tried to do this once a week back in the spring, both as a way of looking forward to something and to support local restaurants. We’re going to get back into it this month — it’s fun for the whole family to look forward to nice food, and great for me and my husband to not have to worry about cooking dinner. 

• Getting out of the house
My kids are in school, so they already have this; for me, putting the baby in the stroller or van and going for a walk or taking a drive can break the day up nicely. On really bad days, only a ride in the van and getting coffee at a drive-through will do (preferably with good songs on the radio that I can sing to as I drive).

• Planning to watch a particular movie or show
This one has lost some impact with the availability of anything you want to watch at any time through streaming services, but if you can have the self-control to hold off on watching a particular thing until Friday night, for example, it might provide a nice light at the end of the tunnel each week. This is great for adults, and my boys also love looking forward to Family Movie Night — the best is when we can find a fun and appropriate movie they haven’t yet seen, and have fun food to go with it (even just popcorn).

• Doing a cleaning- or home improvement project
Taking advantage of being home most of the time by knocking off some things on your to-do list can expend some of that cabin-fever energy (for you and the kids) and prevent the walls from feeling like they’re closing in.

• Focusing on good health 
January’s the perfect month to start eating better and exercising more, both of which can be done at home. Having a “project” like figuring out a better eating plan and implementing it is the kind of thing that distracts me nicely. I was just encouraging my boys to focus on weight lifting and using the pull-up bar to prepare for when sports resume. It’s fun to look forward to reentering society in the spring (fingers crossed!) as a healthier version of yourself.

The next time you hear from me, it’ll be February — I’m so looking forward to it. Have a safe and speedy January!

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 6, and 2. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

As we head into a New Year after facing a year full of uncertainty, stress and unprecedented times in every way, we may feel the pressure to commit to making big changes in our health emotionally, physically and spiritually.

While it is always important to establish a blueprint of goals and specific steps in reaching your goals, it’s equally important to set your goals in a way that guarantees you success and forward momentum.

I am guilty of the all or nothing method in goal setting, especially following almost a year of being out of the normal every-day routine due to pandemic living.

What I have found, through trial and error, to be the most effective and rewarding way to meet long-term goals on the daily basis is what I call the ten-minute method.

For example, often times on my list for the day is to exercise, meditate, organize home and office space and keep up with cleaning. In the all or nothing method we usually set up unrealistic expectations for ourselves causing burnout and failure.

We may commit to an hour-long workout, doing all the laundry at once, spending a day cleaning the house, and adding on some spiritual care at the very end of the day which tends to get forgotten and put off.

The ten-minute method works because it’s short and sweet. I always remind myself: ten minutes is better than 0 minutes. So, what that looks like day-to-day is ten minutes in the morning of organizing my space, (pick up, put laundry in, wipe down a surface, take out the trash). 

I then may decide to do a ten-minute bike ride, walk around the neighborhood or a quick yoga session. Those ten minutes of movement refresh and refocus my energy.

I then may use any time in the car when I am alone to do some meditation. Obviously, I don’t close my eyes, but I use the time and space to just enjoy the silence or do some affirmations and prayer to ground myself for the day.

I have learned that blocking off large chunks of time to get things done, including self-care, ends up getting put off or by the time I show up for the time slot I am drained and exhausted and self-care looks like detachment and exhaustion.

We need to learn how to work smarter, not harder. This means plugging in for each day taking small windows of time to make us feel like we run our day in a proactive, thoughtful way versus reactive, anxious and stressed out.

2020 taught us all so many lessons; perhaps as we begin 2021, we can commit to showing up for each day in the way we need to feel healthy and strong in every area of our lives. That starts with identifying what you need each and every day to feel balanced and energized. That list is different for everyone. You may need some quiet, alone time daily while your family members may need time to connect with loved ones or friends daily. There is no right or wrong when it comes to identifying what you need daily.

Take some time to think about what really matters to you day-to-day and use ten- minute blocks to frame your day in a way that works for you.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing at Fritz, Stanger & Associates. For more information visit www.fritzstanger.com

There is an old curse that reads, “May you live in interesting times.”

I think we can all agree that we are certainly in interesting times. From the pandemic and the economy, to the political climate, 2020 (and so far, 2021) will long be remembered as a consequential year. The question now: where do we go from here?

2020 was a tale of two economies. Small businesses experienced a very different reality last year than large businesses. We all know local business owners who are struggling, or who have gone out of business, altogether. We know service sector workers whose financial lives are in complete collapse. Yet, on the other side, many large national businesses are booming. It’s a travesty, and our hearts go out to those suffering. 

Things will get better.

For investors who stayed invested during 2020, it turned out to be a surprisingly positive year, especially in the technology sector. 

This pandemic would have been untenable without recent technological innovations. Not only has technology allowed us to stay connected to loved ones during shutdowns, it has also allowed more people to work productively from home than ever before. As a result, non-tech companies, their employees and customers, have been direct beneficiaries since these companies have not had to shut down, could retain their employees, and consumers could still gain access to products and services which are essential to modern life. Imagine how much worse things would be if this had struck in the ‘90s!

What do we see for 2021?

For all of the relative insanity we’ve experienced so far this year, there are some reasons to be optimistic about the next twelve months. 

Technological innovations will continue to revolutionize the way we function in our everyday lives, and will do so at an ever-increasing pace. This is because we have all now been conditioned to accept new technologies when we otherwise might have been hesitant. We expect technology, as a sector, to continue to do well. 

Fun fact: The Moderna vaccine had already been designed by January 13, 2020, just two days after the Covid gene sequence had been made public! It will end up saving millions of lives – possibly yours – and we have technology to thank for it. 

As more become vaccinated, and shutdowns end, we expect the greater economy to begin to normalize. It may take well into the second quarter, but it is an eventuality. This, of course, bodes well for the private sector, but will also help the public sector as states and municipalities regain their financial footing. 

Some are worried about what a single-party-controlled Federal government means, so let’s address that. 

Markets typically like gridlock, because it is easier for businesses to plan if they know the rules are not going to change. Normally a sweep by either party would be cause for concern, but this year, markets are reacting positively. This is largely because there is only a technical majority in the Senate, with the Vice President acting as the tie-breaker. This will force compromise, which is ultimately beneficial.

One thing that will almost certainly pass in the next few weeks is additional stimulus and relief for the American public, which markets are applauding as well. Expect another round of direct payments (checks), as well as a delay in initiatives to raise taxes on anyone, rich or poor. In fact, we expect a repeal of the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which would actually, disproportionately, benefit the wealthy. 

It is also very conceivable that Congress extends provisions of the CARES act in 2021, including an elimination of early withdrawal penalties for hardship withdrawals, and another break on required minimum distributions. To that end, if you do not need your required minimum distributions in order to maintain your cash flow, you may want to wait to take them in case Congress eliminates them for 2021, as it did in 2020.

Here’s an interesting idea for any high school seniors graduating this year. Freshman applications and admissions are down more than 20% at some schools, leaving schools in a position to have to compete aggressively for students to fill their rolls. Couple that with the fact that most students don’t have SAT/ACT scores to report, and you may find that the dream school you thought was scholastically unattainable is suddenly an option!

In summary, as the pandemic comes under control and our lives are allowed to regain some semblance of normalcy, we expect the economy to continue to improve. With that, we expect the broader US stock indices to grow by 10-15% in 2021. We also believe that technology will again continue to be a driver of growth.

As always our forecast contains forward-looking statements which may be revised at any time. Stay focused on fundamentals in the coming year, and work closely with your financial advisor to help ensure your investments remain appropriate for your needs and market conditions. 

Stephen Kyne, CFP is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial, LLC in Saratoga Springs, and Rhinebeck. Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., SEC registered investment advisors. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret Grant are separate entities.

There was a table and two chairs in the corner just outside the small cafeteria. A painted mural covered the walls on two sides of this table. If you looked at a photo of my mom, Amy Shimkus, and me sitting at this table with the mural in the background on December 26, 2019, you might think we were at an outdoor café in Paris. We weren’t. 

Instead, this was my mom’s first day as a resident on 2 Victoria, the Wesley Community’s memory care unit and we were sitting just outside of her new room. My mom looked back and forth down a short corridor to our right and the long corridor in front of us. Each corridor had lots of people walking around. The floors were spotless. Everyone seemed very friendly.

My mom looked at me with a quivering chin and glossy eyes. “Todd, I don’t belong here. Please, I’m not ready for this,” she pleaded with me. Honestly, none of us were ready for this. Not her. Not me. Not my two younger sisters, Tracy and Trisha. Not my mom’s two sisters nor her six grandchildren either. 

We were sitting at this table the day after Christmas. Normally a day to return gifts that you didn’t want or clothing that didn’t fit. But the day after Christmas, in 2019, I was bringing my mom to her new home. A place where experts could manage her Alzheimer’s and keep her safe. Looking at my mom struggling, anxious, sad and upset, it felt like Christmas just one day earlier had never happened. 

When a parent or someone you love has Alzheimer’s, you have to accept the fact that a lot of things are out of your control. For her to be safe, she needed help. We didn’t want to wait too long and risk her getting hurt or worse. We knew the heroes at The Wesley could take better care of her. We were making the right decision. That didn’t make this day any easier. 

To make everyone in the family more comfortable, I promised that I would visit my mom every day. I did just that for 77 days straight. My visits helped my mom adjust to her new home. My visits helped her to stay in touch with those she loved. Each of these 77 visits started and ended with a hug. I learned early on to say “see you later” at the end of each visit because this reassured her that I’d be back. 

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, I visited my mom in person. I gave her a hug when I arrived. I gave her an even bigger hug before I left. The Wesley was going into lockdown that day to stop the spread of COVID 19. I didn’t know exactly when we’d be allowed back in to see my mom. Safe to say that I never expected that I would not be able to hug her again this year. 

The heroes at The Wesley have been amazing. They setup virtual visits for all of us. They offered window visits starting in the spring. But under New York’s protocols, no one from our family has been able to sit with her without a mask, to give her a hug, to hold her hand, or to share a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip cookie with her in 281 straight days now – – not on her birthday, Mother’s Day, or Thanksgiving. Next week, we will add Christmas to this list.

I’m sharing this story because we’re starting to see the distribution of vaccines that can stop the spread of this virus and keep all of us safe. I hope as the vaccine is offered to more and more people that everyone will say yes. Saying yes to get vaccinated will help us to save our local businesses, to keep our schools open, to see our favorite local attractions come to life again, and to put local people back to work. Saying yes will make it possible for me and my family to visit in person with my mom and to give her a hug again. So if you are at all on the fence on whether or not to get vaccinated, please look at the photo of my mom, Amy Shimkus, on this page. She will get vaccinated as soon as possible and so will I. We hope you will too!

WHAT A YEAR! As the year comes to an end I have been reflecting on my own ups and downs and trying to find my bearings again. It has definitely been challenging at times. In the recent past I have been dealing with some injuries and noticing that my soon to be 50 year old body doesn’t recover quite the same way I am used to!

This past week I had a headache that simply wouldn’t go away, and if you were unfortunate enough to see me you may have encountered a very grumpy person. Now that it has gone away I can see how my mind would focus on “why” it started hurting instead of what made it feel better at this moment. 

I kept complaining about how “I couldn’t concentrate on anything” instead noticing that the pain was “telling” me that my headache was coming from my neck. So clearly what I needed to concentrate on was what the pain was showing me because that is exactly what I have spent the last almost 25 years teaching patients. 

When my wife helped me with neck mobilizations and manual therapy techniques I use in the clinic, I definitely felt better. But instead of following my own advice, I simply went back to my list of responsibilities I wanted to get done, despite the fact I couldn’t really concentrate and I didn’t really get anything done. I definitely found myself doing exactly what my patients do…ignoring their pain and worse yet avoiding the very thing that makes them feel better. Weird!

So today I thought I would share some of the recommendations I offer to my patients that have had the most beneficial results. And hopefully “I” will be smarter next time and follow these guidelines myself. 

First things first…it is important to understand that pain is not a problem as much as it is a clue. Your body is showing you that it is not happy about something…or that we need to pay attention to something. It is important to figure out what the pain is trying to show us and how to prioritize what to focus on so we can find a solution. 

Pain is often the body’s way of guiding us back to health and well-being. Let me share how pain can guide us. 

The location of pain and the duration of pain are often more important than the intensity of pain when determining the severity of the condition. And therefore more important for identifying the course of treatment. 

Let me give you a couple examples. 

• Take your left hand and grab your right index finger…bend it backwards slowly until you feel a strong stretch. Notice that as you apply more force the location of where you feel something grows. The more strain to the tissue the bigger the area of symptoms. This often happens as the condition worsens. A degenerated hip for example can start as a pinch in the groin and eventually encompass most of the thigh and pelvis. 
• Next, imagine taking a hammer and hitting your thigh muscles…the harder you hit the thigh the bigger the bruise. Similarly the bigger the area of pain the more likely the issue is more significant. Think of lower back pain as compared with sciatica. In both cases the source starts in the back but sciatic pain travels all the way to the toes. The further down the leg the pain goes the more serious the condition.

Typically the bigger the area of symptoms the more severe the condition. It can also inform us of the status of the condition, meaning is the condition getting better or getting worse. If the area is getting bigger the condition is getting worse. Whereas when the area gets smaller, the condition is likely improving. For example if you had sciatic pain that traveled to your toes but now it is in your lower back and buttocks…that means you are getting better. 

It is important to meet pain where it is at this moment. Two of the most common mistakes patients make is doing too much too soon or not doing not doing enough soon enough. Generally when things are improving we don’t want to interfere with the progress by adding to it just for the sake of adding. Whereas if the condition is getting worse we want to change the course somehow so it will start to improve. Having a physical therapist guide you will make all the difference.

The duration of pain is another clue that often matters more than the intensity of pain. For example, I rarely get worried about a patient that describes  their pain as 10 out of 10…but it only lasts for a split second or a few minutes. I am way more concerned when a patient has pain that goes from a 3/10 to a 5/10…but stays a 5 out of 10 for 3-5 days. The longer duration tells me this is significant. 

Meaning even though the intensity only changed from mild (3/10) to moderate(5/10)…the fact that it stayed increased for 3-5 days (i.e. longer duration) is more concerning for me. In this scenario, whatever is being done is making the condition worse. I would change the approach to stop the regression. Whereas a spike in pain (i.e. a brief 10/10) only tells me to be cautious but doesn’t provide enough information as to whether or not I should proceed or should change course.

The intensity of pain can be important of course, but it is also fairly easy to figure out by looking at someone instead of asking them to tell me how intense the pain is. Someone that comes into the clinic in severe pain often has a noticeable appearance. The look on their face, their demeanor, the sweat on their forehead from obvious distress, the controlled way they move, etc. 

 To help translate the clues, I recommend that you write a few things down. 

1. What is guaranteed to make you worse?
• Worse means that your symptoms increase and STAY increased for several hours or days.
• Worse also means that the location of symptoms is bigger or travels further away from the main source of pain.(i.e. Nerve pain travels from the back down the leg).

2. What is guaranteed to make you better?
• Better means that your symptoms decrease and STAY decreased.
• Better also means that the location of symptoms is smaller or gets closer to the site of injury/trauma. 

3. Stick with moment to moment assessment. 
• Forget yesterday and focus on just now..right now. 

If I had listened to my own advice, I would have remembered that when the patient (me) finds what makes them better, that doing more will help them (me) feel better. The most effective treatment is to do more of what helps and stop doing what makes it worse (as defined above). It sounds simple but it is absolutely the starting point and will often lead to better results…faster! Knowing that location of symptoms and duration of symptoms are a better guide will hopefully help you to focus on what is helping so you can improve your pain and get back to the life you want to live!

I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to my staff for doing such great work throughout this difficult year, also to the patients we are privileged to treat for working hard and taking care of yourselves. Also I would like to thank the community for being so nice and supportive to me and my family!

We are here to help so please feel free to contact us at 518-306-6894 or on our website, www.goodemotept.com. We are seeing patients in the clinic and will continue to stay open for in person care. We are following all NYS and CDC guidelines for COVID-19 and offering virtual therapy for those that prefer to stay at home. 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

I haven’t always been great about getting holiday decorations up in a timely manner. 

When my big boys were very little, it didn’t matter so much, since they didn’t know the difference, and as we had more babies, I had less and less mental energy to think about such things. But I always did get the decorations up eventually, even if it was with mere days (or even one day) to go until Christmas.

Our decorations are modest: we have a few Christmassy items that I put out around the house, and we decorate our Christmas tree with white lights and garland, topped with a star, and hung with ornaments. We have some store-bought ornaments and ones that were given to us, but my heart belongs to the ones the boys have made in school. Every year before Christmas, certain grades have ornament-making sessions, and I treasure what my boys have brought home: the wreaths made out of rice; the gingerbread men made out of glue and cinnamon that make the house smell like cinnamon until I pack them away after the Ephiphany; the Baby Jesus in the manger made out of construction paper and a clothespin. We have several of these same ornaments, since we’ve had several boys go through these grades, and I’m pretty sure my parents have some of the same ornaments on their tree from when my brothers and sisters and I were little.

Mom and Dad are in a new house for Christmas this year, after having sold our childhood home two years ago and been displaced last year while their new house was being fixed up, but so many of the same Christmas decorations they’ve always put out are currently on display. The stockings my grandmother knitted for each of us are hung, not on our old mantel in our old house, but in a new spot. Dad replaced some outside bulbs with red and green ones, as they’d done at their old house, and Mom’s love of stringing colored lights and putting candles in the windows has followed them to their new house, as has the Nativity scene she loves to put outside and the construction-paper Rudolph that one of my sisters made when she was little. We would get so excited when we saw the decorations get pulled out of storage each year—it felt like the Christmas season was really here.

Despite my humble attempts over the years, I see that my boys have that same feeling when I pull out our decorations, and with 2020 being the way it is, I really wanted to have my act together. I’m pleased to say that, as of this writing, I’ve strung lights and pine boughs above our main window; we have a Merry Christmas banner and a string of gold stars strung in various rooms; I put snowflake clings on our front door window and hung a big wreath on the door itself; and put the small statue of Santa on the piano (our Nativity set was never put away—it’s been hanging out by the video games since last year). And tonight, we’re putting up the tree and decorating it, nearly three full weeks before Christmas! 

When I told the boys that we would be putting up the tree tonight and that we would be having finger foods and watching a Christmas movie while doing so—a routine we started several years ago that we’ve actually been good about keeping up with—one of my big boys sighed and said, “I love that tradition.” We always joke that another of the boys is like Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation—he really wants the totally tricked-out house and is always disappointed that we don’t cover the outside of our house in lights—but even he was excited when he came home from school the day I’d put up the decorations inside and said, “Oh Mama! The house looks so nice!” None of us complained when one of our favorite radio stations started playing Christmas carols on November 1, and I’ve caught more than one of the boys humming those familiar tunes as they go about their day (I sing them full out all the time, much to the bigger boys’ chagrin).

I love how somewhat unremarkable Christmas traditions can be and still be meaningful, and how easy it is to start new ones that children latch onto and love. The fostering of such excitement seems more important this year than ever—we all seem primed to embrace wholeheartedly anything that provides some light and joy and hope. I hope you’re all finding ways to let this “most wonderful time of the year” light up the end of your 2020, even amidst the darkness, and I hope the Christmas carol is right: “Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.”

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 2. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.